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11 HABITS CAN AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, HOW TO GET RID OF IT.

Mental health is pretty much an underrated topic in our society no matter which country you live in. Many reasons are responsible for this and the topmost reasons being social stigma, fear of abandonment, and lack of awareness. Though people are more open these days still a significant number of people still feel embarrassed to talk about it.

When we get the infection, injury, or fever we rush to the medical doctor as early as possible to get the required treatment. If we get a headache or body ache we take medicine to relieve it without hesitation or without a single thought. Or if not recovered we go to an advanced investigation and specialist opinion to find out the cause of the trouble.

This is about physical or physiological health but we often neglect taking care of mental health. Or avoid taking care of mental health.

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

Mental health is nothing but mental well beings. It is a vague term, it includes psychological, social, interpersonal, familial, emotional, behavioral health.

Taking care of mental health in our society is taboo, people feel embarrassed to admit the trouble they are facing or to go to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or mental health counselor.

Because they have an underlying fear of social stigma and they keep denying that they have problems and eventually deny going to a professional counselor’s help.

Lack of mental health awareness in our community is responsible for this condition. Because if you don’t sort out this problem on time it will come back with the bigger and more intense condition. And this time you can’t deny it.

Mental health is equally important as physical health because it will lead to physiological problems. 10^th October is observed as mental health day by WHO and WFMH.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY TAKING CARE OF MENTAL HEALTH?

Here I don’t want to glorify this term ‘Taking care of mental health, instead, I want to talk more about prevention because in advance cases you don’t have an option but to go to counseling or mental health therapy. I want to focus more on what you can do so that it will not happen with you or if it is there it will not progress, because prevention is better than cure.

Taking care of mental health means what you can do to keep your mind healthy and at peace. A healthy mind is the basis of happiness and prosperity in life. Don’t let it become a monster for you.

Talk about your problems with a safe person. Open up about your feelings and when necessary got to mental health counselor or professional medical practitioner.

There are few good habits for mental health and few bad habits for mental health. I have sorted out a few bad habits that could affect your mental health.

If you think you have got one or more of these, It is highly recommended you read this through. Correcting these factors will keep you healthy and at peace.

Exited? let’s dive in,

1.STRESS:-

Overstress could hamper your mental health. Stress comes from thinking about things that are not in your hand and/or avoiding the things and problem which are important to tackle today that may become bigger at a later date.

You need to find out the things which are responsible for producing stress in your life. Do not overthink the things which are not in your control. You can’t avoid all the situations coming toward you just let it go and move on.

If you have a situation that is important to handle or some important work needs to do in time don’t avoid it, don’t run away just get it head-on. Maybe you will avoid it today or a few more days but the day it will come back with bigger strength and cause more trouble.

2. ANXIETY:- 

Anxiety is more troublesome for our mental health. It is the end result of denial and avoidance, toxic shame, overthinking, negative thinking, jealousy, anger and rage, repressed feelings, stress, fear, insecurities, and perfectionism in a few people.

To bat the anxiety you need to find out the thing responsible for it and correct it as soon as possible.

3. JEALOUSY AND ENVY:-

Jealousy and envy will make you feel competitive, nervous, and sad. Envy is a feeling of extreme jealousy and competitiveness, e. g. When you see one of your friends or colleague driving a nice car, you start thinking that why the heck he has such a beautiful car because he won’t deserve this car, I deserve it more than him. You start feeling irritated and angry at him.

Little optimism can counter jealousy and envy. Don’t compete with people for everything. Don’t compare your level one with someone’s level 100, because it will not help you but make you feel more jealous and eventually affecting your mental health.

4. OVERTHINKING:-

Overthinking will affect mental health in many ways, with overthinking people over-analyze the situation. Because of overthinking even smaller problems appear bigger or worst but in reality, it is not so. Overthinking makes you feel insecure and fearful and anxious.

With some effort, you can get rid of overthinking such as finding distractions or thinking rationally about problems.

5. NEGATIVE THINKING:-

Some people have a pessimistic attitude and take every situation or incident in negative ways. e.g. If someone passed comment on you and you start thinking negatively about it like is he criticizing me? Maybe he wants to put me down, maybe he doesn’t find me good enough and the train of negative thoughts will go on.

You need to stop taking everything personally, people don’t have time to think about you. Be optimistic about problems in your life. Always hope for a positive result. Cut the train of negative thoughts in the beginning. Keep yourself motivated and optimistic.

Also, read IS MOTIVATION HELPFUL REACHING GOALS, AND COPING STRESS AND PAIN?

6. REPRESSED FEELINGS:-

Repressed feelings are one of the most damaging factors for mental health, Especially anger. If you don’t open up about your feelings you will become a gas chamber and one day it will burst out either as a problem and conflict or into nervousness, anxiety, and panic.

7. HOLDING RAGE AND GRUDGE:-

Rage is harmful to your mental health, It will make a person irritable and angry. It will provoke you for revenge. Holding rage or grudge for a long time may put you into trouble or make you angry, nervous, and sad.

Learn to forgive people for there did. Forget and move on. You can’t throw the stone at every barking dog coming on the way.

8. LAC OF SELF-ESTEEM:-

Lack of self-esteem is nothing but a lack of self-worth. A person often thinks that he doesn’t deserve what he/she has got. They are not confident about themselves and don’t respect their own feelings. Lack of self-esteem makes you feel unimportant, hopeless, underconfident, and sad.

Lack of self-esteem is a self-sabotaging habit and if you have one you need to change it. Tell yourself that you are the most important person in this world, you deserve all the good things that happen in your life.

9. AVOIDANCE AND DENIAL:-

If you avoid or deny the problem and conflicts when it is small, at a later date it will compound and come back to you as bigger and more intense. It can cause stress and anxiety.

Don’t avoid the situation and problems in life. Confront it and just take it head-on, maybe you suffer in present but your life will be easy in the future. Confrontation will make you confident.

10. ADDICTION:-

Addiction to anything like substance abuse, the internet, and social media addiction, pornography, and so on, can affect your mental health. Addiction leads to obsession, compulsion, irritability, extreme emotions, violence, loneliness, anxiety, sadness, and sometimes depression.

In mild to moderate cases of addiction person can recover with self-discipline and self-control but in advanced cases, approach a professional medical doctor such as a psychiatrist. You can also go for counseling from a psychologist or mental health counselor.

11. INSECURITIES ABOUT FLAWS:-

People have insecurities about their flaws. Insecurities will make you feel lonely, nervous, and unworthy.

Learn to embrace your flaws. Everyone has some flaws you are not alone. People start loving each other by looking at the flaws of others.